diff --git a/base/operators.jl b/base/operators.jl
index 6570a14e3e612..6f1849f60d911 100644
--- a/base/operators.jl
+++ b/base/operators.jl
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ fldmod1{T<:Real}(x::T, y::T) = (fld1(x,y), mod1(x,y))
 fldmod1{T<:Integer}(x::T, y::T) = (fld1(x,y), mod1(x,y))
 
 # transpose
-transpose(x) = x
+transpose(x) = throw(ArgumentError("transpose not implemented for $(typeof(x)). Consider permutedims."))
 ctranspose(x) = conj(transpose(x))
 conj(x) = x
 
diff --git a/test/datafmt.jl b/test/datafmt.jl
index 7116a2af614dc..4b97da3a32ef3 100644
--- a/test/datafmt.jl
+++ b/test/datafmt.jl
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ let i18n_data = ["Origin (English)", "Name (English)", "Origin (Native)", "Name
         "Yugoslavia (Cyrillic)", "Djordje Balasevic", "Југославија", "Ђорђе Балашевић",
         "Yugoslavia (Latin)", "Djordje Balasevic", "Jugoslavija", "Đorđe Balašević"]
 
-    i18n_arr = transpose(reshape(i18n_data, 4, Int(floor(length(i18n_data)/4))))
+    i18n_arr = permutedims(reshape(i18n_data, 4, Int(floor(length(i18n_data)/4))), [2, 1])
     i18n_buff = PipeBuffer()
     writedlm(i18n_buff, i18n_arr, ',')
     @test i18n_arr == readcsv(i18n_buff)
diff --git a/test/linalg/matmul.jl b/test/linalg/matmul.jl
index 0f44b8cf8479c..f3fbb5f3d92a7 100644
--- a/test/linalg/matmul.jl
+++ b/test/linalg/matmul.jl
@@ -320,8 +320,9 @@ end
 immutable RootInt
     i::Int
 end
-import Base: *, promote_op
+import Base: *, transpose, promote_op
 (*)(x::RootInt, y::RootInt) = x.i*y.i
+transpose(x::RootInt) = x
 promote_op(::typeof(*), ::Type{RootInt}, ::Type{RootInt}) = Int
 
 a = [RootInt(3)]
diff --git a/test/operators.jl b/test/operators.jl
index 36f80a6033ddf..07031ed2ff81e 100644
--- a/test/operators.jl
+++ b/test/operators.jl
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ p = 1=>:foo
 @test (|)(2) == 2
 @test ($)(2) == 2
 
-@test ctranspose('a') == 'a'
+# @test ctranspose('a') == 'a' # (c)transpose of Chars no longer supported
 
 @test_throws ArgumentError Base.scalarmin(['a','b'],['c','d'])
 @test_throws ArgumentError Base.scalarmin('a',['c','d'])
diff --git a/test/strings/basic.jl b/test/strings/basic.jl
index f8a63850a0253..183ec1ea74933 100644
--- a/test/strings/basic.jl
+++ b/test/strings/basic.jl
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ foobaz(ch) = reinterpret(Char, typemax(UInt32))
 
 @test "a".*["b","c"] == ["ab","ac"]
 @test ["b","c"].*"a" == ["ba","ca"]
-@test ["a","b"].*["c","d"]' == ["ac" "ad"; "bc" "bd"]
+@test ["a","b"].*["c" "d"] == ["ac" "ad"; "bc" "bd"]
 
 # Make sure NULL pointers are handled consistently by String
 @test_throws ArgumentError unsafe_string(Ptr{UInt8}(0))